Global Village and Ain Dubai are some Dubai attractions that are temporarily closed owing to strong winds in Dubai on January 21. Photo: Pawan Singh and Chris Whiteoak/The National
Global Village and Ain Dubai are some Dubai attractions that are temporarily closed owing to strong winds in Dubai on January 21. Photo: Pawan Singh and Chris Whiteoak/The National
Global Village and Ain Dubai are some Dubai attractions that are temporarily closed owing to strong winds in Dubai on January 21. Photo: Pawan Singh and Chris Whiteoak/The National
Global Village and Ain Dubai are some Dubai attractions that are temporarily closed owing to strong winds in Dubai on January 21. Photo: Pawan Singh and Chris Whiteoak/The National

Lifestyle

Family

Ain Dubai and Global Village close temporarily owing to 'adverse weather'

The UAE is currently experiencing strong wind gusts

Janice Rodrigues
Janice Rodrigues

January 21, 2022

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In light of current weather, Dubai attractions Ain Dubai and Global Village have both closed for the day, they announced Friday.

Global Village will remain closed for the day owing to "adverse weather conditions and high winds". The family-friendly venue has coordinated with the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) to take the decision for the "safety and wellbeing of all Global Village’s guests and teams".

Gates are scheduled to reopen on Saturday at 4pm the venue announced on social media.

Earlier on Friday, Ain Dubai, the world’s tallest observation wheel, also announced that it had closed temporarily.

“Due to adverse weather conditions of significant wind gusts, we have been advised that it is not safe to operate Ain Dubai today,” the post read.

The attraction has confirmed to The National that they will reopen on Saturday, January 22.

Those who have booked tickets are being advised to reschedule for another day; all tickets are valid for a period of seven days (until Friday, January 28) upon presentation of the ticket at the Ain Dubai box office.

Guests can also contact Ain Dubai at aindxb@aindubai.com and reference their PNR number and name to clear any doubts.

“As ever, the priority is the health and safety of our guests and providing them with a safe and enjoyable ride,” the post on social media states.

The UAE is currently experiencing strong winds and waves reaching up to three metres, with temperatures expected to regularly dip below 20°C over the next few days.

In the message shared online on Friday, NCM issued an orange alert in both the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman, as winds were expected to reach 60 kilometres per hour.

NCM also said that strong north-westerly winds would blow dust across Abu Dhabi between 6.30am until 4pm on Friday.

Look back at the opening of Ain Dubai:

A bystander at Ain Dubai for the attraction's official opening on Bluewaters Island on Thursday, October 21. All photos: Christopher Whiteoak / The National
A bystander at Ain Dubai for the attraction's official opening on Bluewaters Island on Thursday, October 21. All photos: Christopher Whiteoak / The National
Guests step off the cabin after the first ride on Ain Dubai
Guests step off the cabin after the first ride on Ain Dubai
There was a jubilant atmosphere on Bluewaters Island on Thursday as the world's largest and tallest observation wheel opened to the public
There was a jubilant atmosphere on Bluewaters Island on Thursday as the world's largest and tallest observation wheel opened to the public
'The National' reporter Janice Rodrigues at Ain Dubai on opening day
'The National' reporter Janice Rodrigues at Ain Dubai on opening day
The wheel stands at 250 metres tall
The wheel stands at 250 metres tall
Tickets for the first day were completely sold out, as were tickets for the sunset slot on Friday
Tickets for the first day were completely sold out, as were tickets for the sunset slot on Friday
A single rotation takes about 38 minutes and guests can see Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah from the attraction's 48 cabins
A single rotation takes about 38 minutes and guests can see Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah from the attraction's 48 cabins
For safety reasons, Ain Dubai has kept a maximum capacity of 10 people per cabin
For safety reasons, Ain Dubai has kept a maximum capacity of 10 people per cabin
Tickets from Dh130 for adults and Dh100 for children
Tickets from Dh130 for adults and Dh100 for children
Sajan Antonie, 44, at the official opening of Ain Dubai
Sajan Antonie, 44, at the official opening of Ain Dubai
Filipa Gameiro, 30, and Jose Nuno, 28, on an Ain Dubai cabin for the first ride
Filipa Gameiro, 30, and Jose Nuno, 28, on an Ain Dubai cabin for the first ride
Guests step aboard a cabin for the first ride on Ain Dubai
Guests step aboard a cabin for the first ride on Ain Dubai
A view from the cabin of Ain Dubai
A view from the cabin of Ain Dubai
Inside one of the cabins
Inside one of the cabins
The view from the top
The view from the top
Guests can view Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah from the attraction's 48 cabins
Guests can view Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah from the attraction's 48 cabins
Taking photos of the view
Taking photos of the view
An illustration of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on the ground beneath Ain Dubai
An illustration of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on the ground beneath Ain Dubai
Views of the Dubai skyline
Views of the Dubai skyline
Views from the top
Views from the top
One of the youngest guests to ride first on Ain Dubai
One of the youngest guests to ride first on Ain Dubai
The wheel towers 250 metres above the ground
The wheel towers 250 metres above the ground
Inside the cabin
Inside the cabin
Setting off for the first ride
Setting off for the first ride
A DJ booth is seen in one of the Ain Dubai capsule pods. Photo: Thoraya Abdullahi / The National
A DJ booth is seen in one of the Ain Dubai capsule pods. Photo: Thoraya Abdullahi / The National
A DJ booth is seen in one of the Ain Dubai capsule pods. Photo: Thoraya Abdullahi / The National
A DJ booth is seen in one of the Ain Dubai capsule pods. Photo: Thoraya Abdullahi / The National
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Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting

-      Don’t do it more than once in three days

-      Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days

-      Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode

-      Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well

-      Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days

-      Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates

-      Manage your sleep

-      People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting

-      Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert

Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23

UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final

Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final

Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to come clean about financial infidelity
  • Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
  • Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help. 
  • Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
  • Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
  • Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported. 

Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Updated: January 21, 2022, 12:33 PM
Dubai